Beaufort
Town Beaufort is a commune and town in eastern Luxembourg. It is part of the canton of Echternach, which is part of the district of Grevenmacher. In 2005, the town of Beaufort had a population of 1,366. Beaufort is home to a prominent castle. Beaufort Castle, dating from the 11th century, consists of the ruins of the medieval fortress and an adjacent Renaissance château. Castle The old castle, protected by a moat, was built in four periods. It was probably in the 11th century that the castle began as a small square-shaped fortress on a large rock protected by a moat and a second wall above the valley. Based on a document of 1192, it is assumed that Walter of Wiltz and Beaufort was the first Lord of Beaufort. The oldest part of the castle dates from the early 11th century. It was a small square-shaped fortress on a massive rock, surrounded by a wide ditch and a second wall facing the valley. Around the first half of the 12th century, a flanking tower was added and the access gate was moved and enlarged. The marriage of Adelaide of Beaufort with William of Orley in 1348 meant that the castle became the property of the House of Orley. The lords of Orley expanded the castle towards the valley. The wing containing the well and the upper rooms as well as the lower part of the main tower date from this period. Since 1539 Bernard of Velbrück was Lord of Beaufort. The House of Beaufort became ruined by the Thirty Year War and thus was forced to sell up. In 1639 Johann Baron von Beck, governor of the province of Luxembourg on behalf of the Spanish King, acquired the greatest part of its properties. It is likely that he built the wing with the large Renaissance style windows in the main tower and the northwestern cannon tower. After 1643 he ordered the building of the new renaissance chateau. Johann von Beck, however, died of injuries received at the Battle of Lens in 1648 before he could even move in. His son finished the construction in 1649. The old abandoned knights' castle slowly decayed. At the beginning of the 19th century it was used as a quarry. In 1850 the Luxembourg government declared the castle a cultural heritage. As of 1893 Beaufort castle acquired a new look under the new owner Henri Even and his son Joseph Linckels. The new palace was restored and the sheep farm was expanded. In 1928 Edmond Linckels cleared the rubble from the castle and the well and made the site available to the public. Since 1981 the castle and the chateau are owned by the Luxembourg state. Cemetery The cemetery is located in the town. Family After leaving Eppeldorf, our Even ancestors moved to Beaufort. This move happened about 1650. The Henri Even mentioned above as a tenant of the castle, is a relative of these Evens. It is unknown still exactly how he is related, but it would have to be something like Fourth Cousin Four-times Removed to the children of [[Francis Joseph Weber]]. Most of the Even tombstones no longer exist in the town, this reflects the high turnover rate of tombs in Europe. The following tombstones all belong to the Henri Even family. They have various family members buried in the same area. They are all presumably related to us. These tombstones are still there because, as residents of the castle and politicians and doctors, they were important people to the town. 100 4414 Beaufort.JPG|photo by family 100 4415 Beaufort.JPG|photo by family 100 4416 Beaufort.JPG|photo by family 100 4417 Beaufort.JPG|photo by family 100 4418 Beaufort.JPG|photo by family 100 4419 Beaufort.JPG|photo by family 100 4420 Beaufort.JPG|photo by family The following gallery has two tombstones in it that are of Evens. It is unknown if they are related, but being Evens from Beaufort, it wouldn't be surprising. The second tombstone illustrates why there aren't many old tombstones in Luxembourg anymore. This is an Even tombstone that had been covered by a plaque for a different family. We only know it's an Even tombstone originally because the other plaque has been taken down. This illustrates how you only get recognition as long as the family continues to pay rent, after which they reuse the tomb and even sometimes the tombstone itself. 100_4425_Beaufort.jpg|photo by family 100_4428_Beaufort.jpg|photo by family Resources